Wherever You Go
by Akaru
Summary: Shuichi questions his lover’s resolve in their relationship, and even Yuki is surprised by the answers he finds.


Yay, my first Gravitation fanfic! I hope I get everyone in character. Probably won't.

By the way, I should add that this story was conceived before the eleventh manga came out, the event of book 11 (no spoilers out of me, nope!) haven't happened. Or maybe they have and it doesn't much matter either way… (shrugs). Anyway, read! Enjoy! Review! Flame! Whatever! (shoos)

Wherever you go

By Akaru

Yuki's fingers flew over the keyboard of his laptop, the clack of the keys resonating in the spacious office. He paused occasionally to reorder his muses, then he resumed his assault on the computer with renewed vigor. It was important—_crucial—_that he finish his seventh chapter before Shuichi returned home.

…no, that wasn't right. Shuichi had already arrived home. Yuki had kicked him out not a half an hour ago. Through the open door of his office he could see the familiar head of fuchsia in the living room.

He shrugged off the lapse in his memory and resumed his typing. It wasn't as if he had forgotten about him, or anything. It was simply that Shuichi wasn't making noise or trying to disrupt him from his work. His hyperactive lover wasn't bounding about the apartment like a madman, terrorizing the neighbors, or babbling incoherently about the never-normal days at NG Records. He was sitting on the couch, listening to the murmur of the television.

Yuki's fingers stilled, a feeling of foreboding coming over him. Shuichi looked rather pensive, actually. He wasn't paying attention to the TV—he was thinking.

This couldn't be good.

Yuki glanced back at his laptop, determined to continue, but his eyes rebelled. They slid back to the singer perched on the leather sofa, his knees at his chin. Whatever his mind was reveling on was quite serious and troubling, if the pinch of Shuichi's brows and the slight downward curve of his pouty lips were anything to judge by.

Damn it. Now he had lost his place, and his train of thought had fled. Damn it!

Grumbling, Yuki reluctantly rose and stepped toward the doorway. Might as well see what the brat was up to, otherwise he would be distracted all night.

As he stepped into the living room, Shuichi looked up silently. His eyes, usually a light and twinkling lavender, were darkened to a rich amethyst, as they tended to do when Shuichi was serious. Or upset, or angry. Whichever way it went, they made Yuki uncomfortable.

He chickened, retreating to the kitchen.

Stupid brat. Why was he being all quiet and moody? Yuki hated it when Shuichi whined, but at least he knew what the kid was upset about. The dark silence was downright nerve-wracking.

Yuki growled as he absently prepared a cup of tea, crushing the internal admission that he was concerned. What did he care if the little idiot was in a tiff? He had probably deserved whatever had him so upset.

Still…

Yuki sighed as he and his steaming mug turned and headed back into the living room. Shuichi hadn't moved an inch. Yuki walked around the coffee table and seated himself on the other end of the couch. Shuichi didn't move, but Yuki knew when those violet eyes shifted over, watching as he sipped his tea emotionlessly.

The duo sat in awkward silence a few moments, before Yuki sighed heavily. "Well? What is it?" He said, maybe a little sharper than he's intended.

Shuichi turned his head, tilting it slightly in a look of naiveté. "What is what, Yuki?" Then he turned back to the TV.

Yuki eyed his lover guardedly. Maybe there wasn't anything wrong at all. Perhaps Shuichi was just being quiet tonight, and Yuki had been worrying about nothing. If there was anything in the world that irked him more than dishonesty and crying, it was pointless worry.

"…Yuki?" Shuichi said tentatively.

Yuki nearly sprung out of his seat. What was it now? He wished the brat would just come out with it, so he would know what it was and brush it off and get back to work. Mizuki was going to have his head if he didn't finish that blasted chapter by tomorrow.

"What now?" He growled, frustrated.

Shuichi tucked his head back over his knees. "I've just been thinkin'… about when I went to New York… and you came after me, an'…" he trailed off uncertainly.

"What about it?" Yuki asked exasperatedly. "Just spit it out, brat."

"I—I was just wondering…what would you do if I left? Would you come after me again?"

Yuki balked. This was not the sort of thing he had hoped for. If the kid had just told him what was bothering him, he could find a solution. That he could deal with. He hated stupid rhetorical questions that just put him on edge, and what if he gave the wrong answer? It was pointless and irritating.

"Baka. What kind of stupid question is that?" He got up and headed toward the bedroom. "You need your head examined if that's all you've been thinking of all evening. I'm going to bed."

Okay, maybe that wasn't the best answer he could have given. Yuki rested his case. He hated stupid questions.

Yuki stalked into the bedroom, still annoyed. He slowly changed out of his clothing, showered, and headed toward the bed. He was going to put the whole thing out of his head, sleep, and finish his chapter in the morning before Mizuki arrived.

Stupid brat….

Yuki shifted uncomfortably on the spring mattress. Why did he have to ask that stupid question anyway? He shouldn't expect Yuki to have an answer for questions like that. It wasn't fair—he hadn't thought about things like that. As if Shuichi would be going anywhere anyway…

Right?

So why was Yuki's stomach currently tying into large knots?

Yuki knew he wasn't the best lover, and that Shuichi wasn't always happy. But still, Shuichi loved him. If there was anything that Yuki could be sure of, it was that Shuichi loved him and wanted to be with him.

So why would he want to leave?

Yuki's phone was stationed at the bedside table, and it chose that moment to ring suddenly, startling Yuki. He bolted upright, glaring at the offending device. It responded with another shrill screech that had Yuki tempted to hurl it into the nearby wall. Now was NOT the time.

He begrudgingly snatched up the phone before it had a chance to yell at him again. "What? I'm trying to sleep!" he barked into the mouthpiece.

"Mika's right—you do sleep to much. It's only nine o'clock, onii-san." Tatsuha said amusedly on the other end of the line.

Great. The last person Yuki wanted to talk to. Well, maybe not the last—Seguchi was definitely the last at the moment. "What do you want now, Tatsuha?" He snapped moodily. Arguing with Shuichi always put him in a foul mood. Not that Shuichi had done much arguing, on his part…Yuki shook away the errant thoughts.

"What's got your panties in a bunch, bro? Have another fight with you boy toy or something?"

"Shut up," Yuki grumbled.

"What was it this time?" Tatsuha asked.

_I don't even know._ Yuki scowled. "Nothing that is any business of yours."

"Suit yourself." Tatsuha said, unscathed by the tone of Yuki's voice. "Nonetheless, you should try being nice to him. They do that with married couples, and it works wonders."

Yuki rolled his eyes at the sarcasm.

"But seriously," Tatsuha continued. "I mean it. Are you trying to drive him away? Why not just dump him? It's easier, trust me. He's going to get fed up eventually, if you keep it up, though."

Damn Tatsuha just had to slide the barb where it was the most tender. " Did you call for any reason other than to intrude upon my love life?" Yuki snarled.

"Yea, but this is more amusing."

Yuki glared, knowing full well that Tatsuha couldn't see him. He glared anyway. "I'm hanging up."

"Wait!" Yuki didn't wait. He hung up, throwing the phone back into a drawer where it couldn't torment him any more.

He laid back in the bed, staring at the ceiling. He still didn't think Shuichi was going anywhere anytime soon, but talking with his brother had made him inexplicably uneasy nonetheless.

Yuki knew he was like a tempest. Every once in a while he would rage through leaving nothing but destruction in his aftermath. It was those days when he would force Shuichi out of the apartment, make him cry, break his heart…

But Shuichi still loved him. Yuki wasn't sure which of them was the bigger fool.

Yuki begrudgingly admitted that a part of him was grateful Shuichi loved him, regardless of his flaws. His many, many flaws, he added if he was brutally honest with himself.

Still even if he didn't leave him, Shuichi was a musician. And Bad Luck were gaining notoriety at break-neck speed. Soon they would be touring, and Shuichi would be gone for months on end. And he would see how well he fared without Yuki. Not to mention there was plenty of opportunity for a handsome—no, Yuki smirked—gorgeous boy to stray.

His smirk faded. That stung perhaps a bit worse than the idea of him leaving had. He didn't know why, but the idea of someone else having what was his was nearly unbearable.

And if Shuichi left or strayed, where would that leave Yuki?

Alone. Agonizingly alone.

_That's ridiculous._ Yuki grimaced. As if he, the great Yuki, would be alone. He made women's hearts melt on a daily basis. It wasn't as if he would ever be lacking for partners.

But… if Shuichi went away—physically or otherwise—Yuki would be in that dark place where Shuichi had found him.

Since when had Shuichi become his light? The idiot had weaseled his way into Yuki's life more than he probably knew. Yuki certainly didn't understand it.

Shuichi shifted on the couch in the living room, sighing sleepily. Yuki glanced at the clock. It was almost midnight. Yuki realized he had been musing on his relationship with Shuichi for hours… the brat had probably gone to bed a while ago.

Yuki rolled over to settle in for a restless night of sleep.

Morning light peeked through the stiff muslin curtains, alighting on Yuki's face as he slowly awoke. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he sat up as his recollection of last night reorganized itself. That same, uncertain feeling Shuichi's ominous question had given him remained even now.

He sat up in bed a moment, just listening. It was quiet—had Shuichi left for work yet? He glanced at the clock; no. Shuichi wasn't expected into work for another hour and a half. But it was unusual that he wouldn't be up by now. Even if his eerily quiet mood had lingered into the morning, he should have heard some footsteps or _something._

Sudden realization dawned on Yuki, and terror seized him by the throat. Shuichi hadn't been planning to really leave, was he? It wasn't possible. But still, he had been in such a strange mood the night before… maybe it was possible. Maybe that question last night had been his last chance to redeem himself in Shuichi's eyes, and he had just blew it…

At least, Yuki now knew what he would do if Shuichi left. He would break.

He leapt from the bed, not bothering to put a shirt on before he dashed out into the living room. His eyes frantically skipped around the living room impatiently until he came round the couch where Shuichi spent his nights.

…. pink hair spilled messily over the white pillowcase, and the soft blue blanket rose and fell softly in rhythm with Shuichi's breathing. His eyes were still closed in sleeping, and a he wore a blissful expression that belied any trouble in the world.

Yuki's heart slowly returned to a normal cadence as the tension drained from his body. He even chuckled softly as he slowly knelt near the sleeping boy's head, watching him sleep . Of course Shuichi hadn't gone anywhere. He was silly to have worked himself into a panic over something as ludicrous as that.

And then Yuki reveled in the fact that the sleeping creature before him had the power to illicit such a response from him in the first place. He probably didn't even realize…

Soft, sleepy, unfocused violet eyes opened, gazing up as him contentedly for a moment. "mmm…Yuki…" Shuichi murmured as she stretched. Then he rolled back to face the novelist kneeling at eye level with him. "What'cha doin'?"

Yuki smiled softly. "I was wondering why you weren't up yet. You…" _You just about gave me a heart attack._ But Yuki wasn't quite ready to say that yet.

Shuichi gave a smile that made Yuki's breath catch. "Silly. It's Saturday."

"Oh," Yuki got up quickly, slightly embarrassed that he hadn't realized that earlier.

He stood, facing away from Shuichi as the boy slowly rose. "…I…would come after you," he said quietly.

Shuichi looked up. "Hmm?"

Yuki turned slightly. "You asked what I would do if you left. I would find you. No matter what, no matter were you went. I'd find you, I'd come after you, and I'd bring you back kicking and screaming if I had to." Yuki's cheeks tinged pink. He wasn't good at this sort of thing.

"Yuki…."

Pale, slender arms encircled Yuki's bare torso as Shuichi pressed himself against Yuki's back. Yuki exhaled, letting himself lean gently into the smaller boy. Then he slowly turned in the boy's embrace and sat on the couch, pulling Shuichi down with him. He wrapped his arms around his waist, holding his lover possessively to his chest. "I'm not letting you go anywhere."

Shuichi smiled as he snuggled closely to Yuki. "Good."

The End

Ugh…. It's terrible. I hate it. But… tell me what you think anyway.


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